Apparatus and method for treating sausage casings



Dec. 28 41926. l

W. F. HENDERSON ET AL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING SAUSAGE 'CASINGSPatented Dec. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. HENDERSON AND HAROLD E. DIETRICH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS-SIGNORS TO THE VISKING CORPORATION, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, A CORPORA-APPARATUS AND METHOD' FOR TREATING SAUSAGE CASINGS.

' Application ined April 14, 1926. serial No. 101,959.

This invention relates particularly to a method and apparatus fortreating sausage casings, or the like. The invention is particularlyintended for the treatment of casings composed of cellulose, orcellulose liydrate, but may be employed in connection with the treatmentof intestinal casings.

The invention constitutes a modification of the invention disclosed inour application No. 101,958, filed April 14, 1926. The primary purposeof the broad invention is the production of improved sausage casiugswhich can be kept in stock for along pe riod, without deterioration, andwhich can be used with great facility and in an economical manner in apacking house. Furvther objects of the broad invention are disclosed inour companion application nientioned.

'lhe primary object of the presenty invention is to provide for thequick and economical treatment of a cellulose casing in a practicallycontinuous manner as the casing comes from the extruding machine and thepurifying baths.

In accordance with the invention, the casing is subjected to a dryingoperation while iu inflated condition. 1t is preferred, however, to leadthe sausage Casing from the purifying bath through a dilute glycerinsolution, and thus introduce into the casing a hygroscopic agent whichwill serve to retain or attract just suflicient moisture to keep thecasing flexible and moderately tough after'the casing has been dried. Y

It may be stated preliminarily that a cellulose casing which is wet, orquite moist, will not slip readily over the surface of the stuffer horn,but tends to cling firmly to the surfaceof the horn. On the other hand,such a casing, if bone dry, is liable to crack or tear, and cannot behandled advantageously. Moreover. it has been found important, in dryingcasings of this character, to effect the drying operation. While thecasing is maintained in extended condition within a suitable confiningwall, which preferably is porous, br foraminous, to facilitate thedrying operation. The present invention accomplishes the importantresult here indicated, in such manner as to render it unnecessary tostop the operation of the extruding machine. That is, the sausage casingis treated and finished with the same degree of rapidity as it isdelivered from the extruding machine. The present invention accomplishesthe further purpose of loading upon a paper tube in shirred condition asuitable length of dried sausage casing. The paper tube may afterwardsbe applied to a stuffer horn and the casing fed, or drawn, therefrom, asrequired in the stuffing 'operal tion.

Methods of producing viscose for use in producing ay cellulose casing,and then ex-` truding the viscoseto form a casing are known, the viscosetube being converted into cellulose, or cellulose hydrate and thenpassed through a purifying bath, or baths, in known manner. Such methodsare referred to more at length in our copending application, mentionedabove. y f

The accompanying drawing illustrates somewhat diagrammatically improvedapparatus adapted to the practice of the improved process Which is to bedescribed. In the drawing, Fig. 1 Vrepresents in elevation, brokenly andpartly in section, the improved apparatus; Fig. 2, a plan view of thesame; Fig. 3, an enlarged' vertical longitudinal sectional View taken asindicated at line 3 of Fig. 2, the casing-shirring rolls -not beingshown, however; Fig. 4, "a vertical sectional view taken as indicated atline 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a broken elevational view of a foraminousconfining tube employed; and Fig. (l, a broken sectional view showing amodification of the vconfining tube.

In the illustration given, A designates a sausage casing; B, a purifyingbath through which the casing is passed as it comes froln the extrudingmachine; C, a bath for introducing into the casing, a hygroscopic agent;D, a foraminous, or perforate, confining tube within which the casing isinlated during the drying. operation; E, a mandrel-tube over which thecasing slips while in the operation of loading the casing in shirredcondition upon the paper tube; F, a pair of casing-confining rollsbetween which the casing passes in entering the confining tube; G, apair of feed rolls located adjacent the advance end of the confiningtube D and co-acting with the tubular mandrel E; H, a pair of shirringrolls mounted on a carriage H which is given a positive tube and shaftsmentioned; K, a support for the rolls G; and L, a drier-chamber pro- 4vided with an intake pipe L through which heated dry air is received,the air being forced through the drier-chamber by means of a fan L2.

In making cellulose casings, the viscose tube, as it issues from theextruding machine, is treated with suitable chemicals, 1n the form of abath, or spray, and thus converted into cellulose, or cellulose hydrate.The celluloseca'sing is then passed through a purifying bath. In Fig. 1,the cellulose c aslng A is shown emerging from the purifying bath B,from whence it passes between rollers 1 which express from the casingthe excess water. The casing then passes through the tempering bath'Cwhich preferably is a dilute solution of glycerin and water. .strengthof about twenty percent glycerin 1s preferred. The casing then passesbetween rollers 2 which remove the excess glycerin solution. The casingthen passes between the rollers F, then through the diameterlimitingtube D, and thence over the mandrel E. The portion of the casing Awithin the foraminous tube D is inflated and preferably distendedslightly beyond its previous diameter, and'is subjected to adryingactlon during its passage throu h the confining tube. The

v rollers F prefera ly are of yielding compo sition, such as moderatelysoft rubber. The adjacent end of the confining tube D is open and is cutaway as indicated at 3 in Fic'. 5, thus aliordin concave edge-surfaceswhich bear against t e rollers F. The rolls F compress the casing uponitself suliiciently to prevent the passage of alr which enters thesausage casing through the hollow mandrel E. The rolls fit closelyenough against the end edges of the confining tube D to affordsubstantially unbroken backing for the rather delicate sausagecasing'when in the expanded condition.

The foraminous confining tube D preferably is of metal and has its wallsprovided with numerous perforations to permit escape of moisture. Theadvance end of the confining tube is constricted somewhat, or madefrusto conical, asindicated at 4.

The rear end of the mandrel tube E projects freely into the advance endof the confining tube D, an annular space being preserved, as indicatedat 5, to permit the passage of the sausage casing A.

The rolls G preferably are of yielding rubber and have their peripheriesso grooved as to embrace the sausagecasing in they manner illustrated inFig. 4. The embrace is close enough to revent air from escaping from theexpan ed portion of the casing which is within the confining tube Dbetween the sausage casino' and the mandrel E. The rolls G are intendedto serve also as feed rolls for advancing the sausage casing on themandrel. They may be driven, in any suitable manner, through the mediumof a pulley 6. They should be geared to feed at approximately'the samerate as the other rolls.

The hollow mandrel E has one end tixedly secured in a split ring 7carried by the support J. The mandrel preferably comprises a rearsection 8 and an advance section 9 which is provided with a flange, orcollar, 9a. The section 9 has a reduced end portion 9b which telescopeswith the adjacent end of the section 8. The main portion of the section9 is of reduced external diameter which provides a set for the paper, orpasteboard tube, 10, upon which a length/0f the sausage casing is to beshirred, as shown at 11. The tube 10 is of the proper diameter to fitupon the horn of a sausage machine, and may be of a length of 10 to 12,to correspond with the length of the horn. It is possible to load such atube with a` section of sausage casing having a length of 30 to 50. Itmay be added that ar cellulose casing having a wall thickness of aboutone thousandtn of an inch, more or less, as desired, may be produced.Such a casing, if properly made and finished, may be readily shirredonto a supporting tube, a supporting tube of 10 to 12'( in length beingcapable of carrying about 50 of the casing. n

The rolls H serve both as feed rolls for advancing the sausage casingand as a means for shirring the casing onto the paper tube 10. Thecarriage H may be mounted in any suitable manner (not shown),l andshould be fed very slowly, in a positive manner, towards the rear of themechanism as the sbirring operation continues. This may be accomplishedin any suitable. manner. such as' by employing a screw workfng within anut with which die carriage is equipped. Suitable provision forexpeditiously returning the carriage to fully advanced positfon may beprovided. It is to be understood in the illustration given in Figs. 1and 2, the shirrlng operation has proceeded for a time and the carriageH has receded from its fully advanced position. The purpose of thepositive feed of the carriage is to prevent injury to the sausagecasing. The carriage should recede at a suitable rate of speed to permitonly the desired compacting of the folds of the sausage casing in theshirring operation. d,

The clamp 7 which holds the advance end of the section 9 of the mandrelE is shown equipped with a pivoted bolt 7'* equipped with a wing nut 7?,which will permit the cla'mp to be thrown open when desired.

The mandrel section 9 is provided with a closed end 12 equipped with anipple 13 connected with an air hose 14. The wall 12 also supports acentral air-escape tube. 15 whichV extends through the tubular mandrel Eand into the `advance end of the confining tube D. Air under moderatepressure enters through the nipple 13 and the tubular mandrel E andinfiates the sausa e casin A within the confining tube D. T e air t enescapes slowly through the small tube 15, the escape being slow enoughto maintain the portion of t e sausage casing which is within theconfining tube D in inflated condition. This inflating air preferably iswarm and dry, and aids in the drying operation. The chief purpose,however, is to maintain the sausage casing in well-stretched conditionduring the. drying operation. Thus, the characteristic shrinking of thecellulose in the dryin operation is obviated.

After t e paper tube 10 has been loaded with sausage casin in shirredcondition, the shirrin rolls H aving in the meantime recede the casingis severed back of the collar 9, the clamp 7 is opened, and the mandrelsection 9 carrying the paper tube 10 is removed, an operator in themeantime supporting the advance end of the section 8 by hand. A freshmandrel-section 9 carrying another paper tiibe 10 is then introduced. Inthe meantime, the shirring rolls continue their action, and the shirred'end of the sausage casing is later moved over onto the paper tube 10;theshirring rolls are then moved up to substantially their fullyadvanced position, and the mechanism operates as before.

It will be understood that the sausage casing is drawn up slowly throughvthe confining tube D and is there subjected, while in inflatedcondition, to a drying operation;- Any suitable drying apparatus may ingtube which has a smooth inner wall and which is foraminous, it beingnoted that the sausage casing must sli while in inflated conditionthrough the tu e. In practice, the tube may be of sufiicient length tocomplete the drying action during the passage of the casing through thetube, assuming the casing to be moving ata practicable rate of speed.

Sausage casings produced in accordance with the improved method may,without injury, be compactly shii'red upon a supporting tube adapted tobev applied to a stuer horn. The casing possesses such qualities that.it will slip readily from the stuffer horn, whereas a very moist, orwet, cellulose film will not do this` but will cling quite firmly to thesupporting surface. The greater strength of a dry casing makes itpossible to stuff the casing tightly and full without causing the casingto bulge, or burst; The dry casing does not stretch, as does a wetstuffing the casing.

em-- ployed. It is preferred to employ a confin-l one. insures fectlyuniform filling, with nd bul 'ng w atsoever. The possibi ity of insuringstuffed. casings of uniform diameter is an important: result of the'invention. The im roved casings are very li ht in weight an arepractically inert un er ordinary atmospheric conditions, and will notdeteriorate. Distinct advantages are gained, therefore in connectionwith storing and shipping. when ythe casing is taken from storage, forluse in the packing house, 1t is ready to be filled in the condition inwhich the packer receivesl it. Wet, or very moist, casings must besoaked up. Such an operation is unnecessar where the improved casingsare used. diere animal casings are used, the hanks must be untied andthe salt soaked out of the strands, and water must be run through thecasings before using. Such operations'are unnecessarywhere the improvedcellulose casings areemployed. As has been indicated, the improvedcasings lend themselves to the. practice of mounting the casings onshort dummy tubes which can readily vbe applied tol stuffer horns. Thissaves a great deal of time inthe packing room. For example, where ananimal intestine is used` more time is consumed in drawing the casingputo the horn than is used in The above-described process may be used,if desired, in treating animal intestine sausage casin but, of course,such casings are not availalse in reat lengths, as is the cellulosecasing. If esired, asheep casing may be treated with a dilute solutionof glycerin` and may then be inflated and dried. The improved ailparatusmay beused for accomplishing t is result and for shirring the intestinalcasing u on a supporting tube adapt-ed to be app ied to astuffing-machine horn. The glycerin acts as a softeninvr agent for theintestinal casing as it does with cellulose casings. By treatingintestinal casings in this manner, soaking of the casings and passingwater therethrough. preparatorily to stuffing, may be avoided, and thelabor in the packing house may be otherwise reduced.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, D represents a foraminous confiningtube having a reduced inlet portion 16 which is fitted with a gland 17provided with packing 18 which fits closely enough about the sausagecasing A to properly confine the air which is used for inflationpurposes. The gland and packing take the place of -tlie rolls F shown inFig. 1.

lit!

It may be" added that in treating animal intestine sausage casings,While it is desirable to confine the casing during the period ofinfiation in order to produce a casingI of substantially uniformdiameter, the feature of the confining tube may be dispensed with. Itwill be noted .thatthe shirring of the toward the opposite end; also,that the incomprising a confining t tiation of the casing occurs inadvance of the mandrel, successive portions of the casing being infiatedas they approach the mandrel and are fed thereon; also, that theaircurrent is introduced .through the mandrel from the rear end thereof,and the air thus introduced may thus serve as a drying current, also.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofnnderstandi only, and no unnecessary limitations shoul be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be construed vas broadly aspermissible, in view of the prior art.

What We regard as new, and desire to vsecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of treating casings for sausages, etc., which comprises:passing the casing through a confining tube, iniiating the casing duringits passage through said tube, and subjecting the casing to a dryingoplration during its passage through said tu e.

2. The method of treating casings for sausages, etc., which comprises:passing the casing through a confining tube, infiating the casing duringits passage through said tube, drying the casing while in infiatedcondition, and loading the casing in shirred condition upona supportingtube as it passes from the confining tube, said supporting tube beingadapted to be applied to a' stufer horn.

3. The -method of treating sausage casings, which'comprises: passingthev casing through a dilute glycerin solution and thence into aconfining tube, and thence onto a hollow mandrel; inflating the portionof the casing within the confining tube and subjecting it to a dryingaction during its passage through said tube and loading the casing inshirred condition upon a supporting tube which serves as a portion ofthe mandrel, said supporting tube being adapted to be applied to astufi'er horn.

4. In a process of preparing a sausage casing, the steps which comprise:drying the casing and passing it over. a] mandrel equipped with aloading tube, and shirring the casing upon said loading tube whileforwardng the casing upon said mandrel.

5. In the treatment of a sausage casing, the stepsY which comprise:drying the casing in inflated condition during feeding of the casing;and forwarding the casing over a mandrel and shirring the casing uponthe mandrel-by means of feed-rolls which aid in advancing the casingover the mandrel and serve to effect shirring of the casing upon themandrel.

6. Apparatus for the purpose set forth,

u e, means for feed- -of the casing throng tube and along sai comprisinga foraminous confiningv tube,

means for feeding a casing through said confining tube means for.inflating the casing within said confining tube during passage saidtube, and means for passing a drying current about said confining tube.

`8. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, comprising a confining tu e, atibular mandrel in axial alignment therewith, means for advancing acasing through said confining mandrel, and means for introducing airthrough said mandrel into i the portion ofthe casing within saidconfining tube.

9. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, comprising a confiningl tube, amandrel of smaller 'diameter in axial alignment with said confinin tube,means for advancing a casing throng 1 said confining tube and along saidmandrel, means for introducing air through said mandrel into the portionof the casing within said confining tube, and means for permittingescape of air through said mandrel.

10. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, comprising a foraminousconfining tube, a tubular mandrel with an annular Aspace between theadvance end of said confinig tube and the rear en'd of said mandrel,means for introducing air through said mandrel into the portion of thecasin within said confining tube, and casing-fee ing means co-actingwith said mandrel.

11. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, lcomprising a foraminousconfining tube, a

.comprising a foraminous confining tube, a

mandrel for receiving the casing as it issues from said confiningtube,`said mandrel being provided with a section adapted to serve as asupporting tube which can be applied to a stufer horn, and means`co-acting with said mandrel for advancing the casing on the mandrel andshirring it upon said supporting tube.

13. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of means forsupporting and continuous] feeding a sausagecasing, means for inflatinga portion of the casing While the feeding of the casing continues, andmeans for drying the inflated portion of the casing.

14. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination with atubular mandrel and associated means for feeding a sausage casing, ofmeans for inflating successive portions of the sausage casing in thepassage thereof to the mandrel.

15. In apparatus forl the purpose set forth, the combination of aforaminous confining tube, a tubular mandrel for receiving a sausagecasing as it emerges from said confining tube, a drying chamberassociated with said confining tube, and casing-feeding means associatedwith said mandrel.

16. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of acasing-confining tube, drying means associated therewith, a tubularmandrel adapted to receive thereon the casing as it issues from saidconfining tube, means for introducing air pressure through said mandrelinto the portion of the casing within said confining tube, andcasing-feeding means associated with said mandrel, said feeding meansin- 'cluding means for shirring the casing upon the advance end of themandrel.

17. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of acasing-confining tube, Vdrying means associated therewith, a tubularmandrel adapted to receive thereon the casing as it issues from saidconfining tube, means for introducing air pressure through said mandrelinto the portion of the casing Within said confining tube, andcasing-feeding means associated with said mandrel, said feeding meansincluding means for shirring the casing upon the advance end of themandrel and the advance end-portion of the mandrel comprising aremovable loa-ding tube adapted to be applied to a stuf'f'er horn.

18. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of aforaminous confining tube, means for assing a sausage casing throughsaid conliiiing tube, drying means associated with said confining tube,a tubular mandrel adapted to receive the sausage casing as it issuesfrom said confining tube, said mandrel being provided with a removableadvance end-portion, and casing-shirring means associatedwith theremovable advance end-portion of said mandrel.

19. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of aforaminous confinino' tube through which a sausage casing may he passed,a mandrel of smaller diameter adapted to receive the casing as itissues'y from said confining tube, and means associated with saidmandrel for confining the casing closely about .the mandrel at the pointWhere the casing issues from said confining tube.

20. The method of treating casings for sausages, etc., which comprise:passing the casing through a confining tube, infiating the casing duringits passage through said tube, drying the casing While iinnnfiatedcondition, and loading the casing in shirred condition upon a supportingtube as it passes from the confining tube.

21. The method of treating sausage casings, Which comprises: passing thecasing through a dilute glycerine solution and thence into a. confiningtube, and thence onto a hollow mandrel; iniating the portion of thecasing Within the confining tube and subjecting it to a drying actionduring its passage through said tube; and loading/the casing in shirredcondition upon a support' ing tube which 'serves as a portion of themandrel.

22. In apparatus for the pur ose set forth, the combination with a tubuar mandrel and associated casing-shirring means adapted to accumulatethe casing in shirred condition on the rear end-portion of the mandrel,of means for introducing an air current into the mandrel through therear end thereof.

23. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination with atubular mandrel and associated casing-shirring means adapted toaccumulate the casing in shirred condition on the rear portion of themandrel, of a casing-feeding means disposed av short distance in frontof the advance end of the mandrel, and means for introducingacasing-inflating current through the mandrel at the rear end thereofinto the portion of the casing interposed between the advance end of themandrel and said casingfeeding means.

WILLIAM F. HENDERSON. HAROLD E. DIETRICH.

